


Snowed In

by southdownsraph



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Agender Character, Alternate Universe - Human, Asexual Character, Cute, Demisexuality, Fluff, Kissing, New Year's Eve, Other, Reverse Professors, Swearing, Trans Masc Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:07:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29093214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/southdownsraph/pseuds/southdownsraph
Summary: Professor Auberon Santos finds themself snowed in on New Year's Eve with a professor from the classics department - Ari Ambrose - who they've had a crush on for ages.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 47
Collections: Good Omens Winter Wonderland Zine





	Snowed In

Auberon groaned, throwing themself back in their chair and stretching their arms up, feeling their spine crack all the way down. They'd been bent over the papers spread out on their desk for  _ hours  _ and it felt sinfully good to push their chair back and stand up. A twinge of pain shot through their hip, but they ignored it, brushing their long, bright red curls back behind their shoulders as they held onto the back of their chair for a moment, steadying themself. Then, once they'd caught their balance, Auberon began to walk across the library, letting their fingers trail along the rows of spines as they wandered between the shelves, all the way to the back of the building. The windows there were tall and open, and showed a clear view of the car park - now a mostly vacant lot that was, to Auberon's shock, completely blanketed in white. Snow was still falling, drifting past the glass in thick, fluffy clumps, and they groaned again, spotting their car half-buried in the corner of the parking lot. 

"Fuck," they muttered quietly, glancing down the rows of desks and realising that the library was utterly empty; even the hushed sound of people trying to be quiet having faded into silence. 

A polite cough from behind them nearly made Auberon jump out of their skin, and they whirled around to glare at- 

Professor Ambrose. 

Ari Ambrose was a classics professor, and despite the fact that there was really very little overlap between the classics department and Auberon's biochemistry course, they'd seen him walking around quite a lot. And they rather enjoyed the sight. 

He was an odd one, Auberon would be the first to admit - always wearing blazers with elbow patches, his curly grey hair unkempt and his beard scruffy, and the hints of tattoos poking out from under his long sleeves and high collars. There was something incongruous about the man, and most people could tell just from looking at him. Auberon figured it was because people often picked up on those little details about Ambrose without really registering them, like his tattoos, or the sharpness of his piercing blue eyes. Those little details that didn't quite fit with the rest of the 'bumbling old classics professor' look he seemed to be going for. And yet, Auberon couldn't help but feel drawn to him, especially after that first time he'd seen the professor laughing and smiling with a colleague in one of the main staff lunch spots.

Unfortunately, thanks to the suddenness of Ambrose's appearance and Auberon's own proclivity to get flustered around people they found attractive, they immediately began to stutter, stumbling over their words as their cheeks went red. Ambrose didn't seem to notice, or perhaps he was trying to spare Auberon some of the embarrassment, as he simply stepped forward to look out of the window himself. 

"Hmm, doesn't look good for  _ my _ car, either," he commented nonchalantly, and Auberon gritted their teeth, trying not to think about the fact that they could smell Ambrose's cologne - a mix of dark, spicy scents and a hint of sandalwood. "You want some tea?" 

Auberon blinked, struggling with this non sequitur for a moment before nodding shyly. "Uh, sure. But you uh...you're not worried about how you're going to get home?" 

Ambrose chuckled, broad shoulders shaking as he turned away from the window to flash Auberon one of his dazzling smiles. "Nah, I've got nowhere to be," he shrugged, and Auberon tilted their head, somewhat surprised. 

"But it's New Year's Eve, aren't you going somewhere or something?" They asked, knowing that the professor was popular in his department, and had plenty of friends he could have celebrated with. But Ambrose simply shook his head. 

"Nope. Anyway,  _ you're _ here, aren't you?" He pointed out with a snort, then jerked his head towards the front of the building. "Come on, let me make you some tea. It might be awhile before this snow stops." 

A little confused and still a bit surprised, Auberon followed Ambrose along the rows of shelves and desks, all the way to a small corner of the library with a tiny little staff bathroom and kitchenette that only really consisted of a counter, a kettle, and a cupboard. 

"I didn't know these were a thing, we don't have one on the biology floor," Auberon commented, leaning against the wall and watching Ambrose as he filled the kettle, tattoos briefly peeking out from under his shirtsleeves. 

"Well, they're useful. Also us history and literature academics tend to be a bit weird and drink a  _ lot  _ of tea," Ambrose chuckled, opening the cupboard and taking down two paper drink cups and two lids, as well as a pair of tea bags. "Milk? Sugar?" 

"Just a pinch of sugar, please," Auberon answered distractedly, glancing around the small room and smiling at the way Ambrose seemed so comfortable in it, as if he was home at last. 

"So what's a biochem professor doing on this floor anyway?" Ambrose asked after a moment or two, the kettle steaming as it boiled and clicked. He lifted it up and began to fill the cups, moving carefully and deliberately. "You don't see that many science people up here." 

"Science students are really loud," Auberon complained, shaking their head and feeling their long hair brush against their neck and back. Awkwardly, they reached up and pulled at it, dragging the mass of curls around to spill over just one shoulder, fingers tangling in it unconsciously, comforting themself and not noticing the way that Ambrose's gaze settled on their hand with an odd, needy look in his eyes. "I came up here for some peace and quiet." 

"Well, you certainly got it. It's only us here," Ambrose pointed out with a slight smile, stirring the contents of both cups before fitting the lids on and handing one to Auberon. They took it with a soft 'thank you,' swallowing when their fingers brushed against his, their perfectly manicured, dark burgundy nails looking almost black beside his pale skin. 

"You could move your stuff to my table, if you'd appreciate some company," Ambrose suggested off-handedly, as if he fully expected Auberon to decline, but despite the sudden panic seizing their lungs at the thought of sitting next to someone they admired so much, Auberon wouldn't dream of saying no. They tried to play it cool, anyway, tried to match Ambrose's casual air. 

"Uh, sure. Yeah, it's a little odd knowing there's no one else here," they admitted, and relished the way Ambrose smiled, his eyes wrinkling at the corners and warm with an affable friendliness that really didn't match his reputation as a harsh teacher. 

"Yeah, it is. My table's right over there," Ambrose agreed, then nodded to a table piled high with books and messy with haphazardly spread-out papers. "I can take your tea, if you like." 

"Thank you," Auberon smiled, handing over the cup and biting their lip briefly. "I'll be right back," they added at last, and turned away before they could get stuck there, gazing into those bright blue eyes. 

A few minutes later, Auberon was stacking their books opposite Ambrose's warzone of a workspace, trying to keep their stuff organised, as Ambrose's papers were already spilling over the border and encroaching on their territory. He looked up when they sat down, however, then smiled and handed them their tea, simply nodding when they thanked him. That seemed to be that for the moment, as he bent his head back to his work immediately, leaving Auberon briefly feeling a little lost. 

Then Ambrose suddenly looked up again, his plump cheeks graced with a dusting of pink. "Shit, I never properly introduced myself, I'm Ari Ambrose, I work in the classics department," he said hurriedly, and Auberon had to squash the urge to blurt out a rather creepy 'I know.'

Instead, they smiled. "Auberon Santos," they answered, allowing themself to enjoy the gaze of those enthralling blue eyes. "Biochem, obviously. And uh, a lot of people call me Medusa, as a joke." 

"Which do you prefer?" Ambrose asked immediately, taking Auberon by surprise briefly. 

"Um...well, I don't mind the joke, but I do prefer my actual name," they shrugged, and Ambrose nodded slightly, looking distant for a brief moment. 

"I agree, I have to say. Auberon has a...well, a very literary feel to it I rather like," he chuckled, and Auberon felt the blush creeping onto their own cheeks. "And Santos? That's an unusual name in England," he added, tilting his head to the side curiously. 

"My father was Brazilian," Auberon explained with a smile, rather used to the question. "But my mother is Irish and I was born here." 

"Ahh, explains the um...well, your complexion. You have lovely skin, by the way," Ambrose added, then bit his lip hard, an apologetic look immediately replacing his amiable smile. "That sounded really weird, I-" 

"No, it's fine," Auberon interrupted gently, smiling at their new friend soothingly. "It wasn't weird at all, thank you." 

"In that case, you're very welcome," Ambrose answered with a bright smile, and Auberon couldn't help but blush, wrapping their hands around their cup and looking down at the table while they tried to think of something to say. But Ambrose beat them to it, leaning back in his chair as he spoke up. "I love the cold weather, y'know. Bundling up to go outside, drinking hot cocoa, sitting around the fire. I find it absolutely delightful, don't you?" 

"No," Auberon chuckled, starting to relax somewhat as they glanced up into those bright, happy blue eyes. "I hate the cold, I'd much rather have a lovely summer day," they added, and Ambrose rolled his eyes dramatically, tutting as he tapped his pen on the desk. 

"Completely uncultured, clearly," he joked, and Auberon simply smiled, fiddling with the cardboard sleeve on their cup lightly. 

"Apparently so." 

"What's your research on, anyway? Other than uh...snakes," Ambrose grinned, gesturing vaguely to the pile of snake-related literature Auberon had brought over from their desk. 

"Uh, I'm uh...researching snake venom properties," Auberon answered awkwardly, stumbling over their words in their shock that Ambrose actually seemed generally interested in their work. "All different kinds of snake venom were used in traditional medicine all across the globe, and we're still just scratching the surface of what they can do for more modern healing," they went on, hitting their stride as those blue eyes crinkled at the edges, Ambrose's interest spurring Auberon on. "I'm particularly interested in how some species of snakes have substances in their venom that may be able to help combat cancer." 

"That's fascinating and sounds like amazing work," Ambrose nodded, folding his arms over his chest as he smiled again. "But if you tell me any more, I have a feeling I'll very soon reach a point where my understanding runs out. Can I ask you a personal question instead?" 

Auberon laughed and shook their head slightly, then gazed at Ambrose for a moment or two too long before finally replying, having to shake themself out of their deep contemplation of how it would feel to hug the other professor's soft frame. "Sure, that seems to be your thing," they teased, and Ambrose nodded, apparently unfazed. 

"You have a pronoun pin on your bag, can you tell me more about your gender? You don't have to, of course, but if it makes you feel any better, I'm not actually cis myself." 

"That does make me feel better," Auberon nodded, toying with their hair again as their knee began to bounce under the table unconsciously. "I'm agender, actually. That's why I prefer they/them pronouns. I don't feel I have a defined gender identity, I'm just...me." 

"Interesting," Ambrose smiled, taking a sip from his mug before leaning forward again, resting his chin in his hand and his elbow on the table. "I'm just a boring, bog-standard trans man, myself," he added with a light chuckle, and Auberon snorted. 

"A trans man you might be, but bog-standard is certainly not the word I would use," they answered, without thinking, and swallowed hard when they saw the surprised look in Ambrose's eyes. They immediately wanted to run off and hide, their cheeks flushing bright red, but Ambrose, luckily, seemed to be able to read a room. He simply smiled. 

"Thank you. I think most people use the word eccentric, but I suspect they're usually trying to avoid some less socially acceptable term," Ambrose joked, and Auberon tilted their head, frowning, but still rather shaken by their own accidental flirting. 

"People judge other people on the most ridiculous criteria," they managed to answer, then sighed softly. Their hip pain was beginning to flare up again, aching from their knee all the way up their side to their ribcage. The pain was throbbing through their muscles, through their bones, and their hands began to tremble, their fingers fumbling when they tried to hold their cup. They did their best to ignore it, but the pain was already growing, and when they shifted to try and ease it, a jolt shivered through their body and made them gasp, their face twisting as they grabbed onto the table. 

"Are you okay?" Ambrose asked quickly, and Auberon groaned, shaking their head and glancing around before grabbing their bag. 

"N-no, I need...I need to go outside for a minute," they muttered, unzipping a special pocket in their bag and pulling out one of their pre-rolled joints. Ambrose's eyes widened and he seemed to freeze for a moment before relaxing. 

"It's a pain thing," Auberon explained hurriedly, grabbing their coat and tugging it on. "I'll be just like...ten minutes, I-" 

"I'll come keep you company," Ambrose interrupted gently, standing up and pulling his own coat on. "Do you want to lean on me?" 

Blinking, Auberon tried their best to process this, but all they could think about was getting to be close to the professor, so they simply nodded and took his offered arm. "Sorry about this," they mumbled, and Ambrose clicked his tongue reproachfully. 

"Nonsense, there's nothing to be sorry for," he smiled, steadying Auberon as they struggled across the library and over to the elevator. "There we go. You okay?" He asked as he pressed the button, and Auberon nodded, slightly out of breath. 

"Y-yeah, just...I left it too long," they groaned, and Ambrose gently slid his arm away from theirs, making Auberon's heart sink briefly before he slowly pulled them closer again, that same strong arm wrapping around their waist. They shuddered in delight and leaned their head against his shoulder, despite the fact that he was just a little shorter than them. It wasn't the most comfortable of positions, but it felt right, and Auberon liked the way their long curls spilled over Ambrose's shoulder, claiming him, marking him, saying  _ mine.  _

It took the elevator a couple minutes to groan its way up to them, but soon enough, Auberon had to straighten up and walk forward, the pain ripping through their body and making them stumble. Ambrose caught them easily, humming in what he probably thought was a soothing way as they struggled into the elevator, shivering all over. They collapsed against the back wall, wincing, and Ambrose slapped the ground floor button before leaning back beside them, his hand on their arm. 

"You okay?" 

"N-no, but thanks for asking," Auberon chuckled shakily, and Ambrose laughed. 

"Anytime." 

"It's the cold weather," Auberon hissed, leaning their head back and gritting their teeth. "Makes it worse." 

Ambrose pulled a face, but didn't answer, as the elevator was already creaking to a halt, and his arm was already finding its way back around Auberon's waist. "C'mon, you," he murmured with a rather fetching grin, and Auberon snorted, smiling despite everything. 

A few more shuddering, trembling minutes, and Auberon was finally outside, the fresh air hitting them full in the face with the bite of winter, making them shiver as they put the joint between their lips and clicked their lighter. Nothing happened. Their eyes widening, Auberon tried it again, but their hands were starting to shake, and their thumb slipped off the lighter. 

"Hey, let me," Ambrose smiled, appearing in front of Auberon and gently taking the lighter from their unresisting hand. He clicked it on easily, the flame glowing bright between them, dancing in those soft blue eyes. Holding the lighter steady, Ambrose forced Auberon to lean in to light their joint, but they weren't exactly complaining. As soon as it took, the lighter was off and Auberon was taking a very,  _ very  _ long drag, their eyelids fluttering closed. They held the breath in their lungs as long as they possibly could, then let it out in one slow exhale, falling back against the library wall. 

"Ahhh, fuck," they muttered, and Ambrose chuckled, tucking the lighter back into their pocket before moving to lean against the wall beside them. 

"Good?" 

"Fucking fantastic," Auberon answered sincerely, taking another long pull and relishing the feeling of their pain beginning to ebb. "This is the only thing that works, y'know. Aside from really, really heavy pain pills." 

"It's just as addictive, y'know," Ambrose said quietly, and Auberon sighed, nodding slightly. 

"I know. But it doesn't feel as bad for me, in an odd way. And I just...I really don't want to take that stuff. It scares me." 

"I understand," Ambrose nodded, staring down at the concrete under his rather old-fashioned shoes. "I'm in recovery myself. From a whole bunch of different stuff. It's been...oh, sixteen years now." 

"Oh, I'm...I'm sorry, I didn't-" Auberon began quickly, suddenly guilty, but Ambrose waved a hand vaguely. 

"Don't worry, you're fine. It's the stronger stuff I can't be around, weed is okay for me to see. It was never really my thing," he smiled, then shook his head as he looked away, surveying the path up to the library as if he owned it. "Besides, medical reasons are different." 

"Yeah, I understand that," Auberon nodded, taking another long drag and wincing as they almost burned their fingers. They hurried to the nearest bin and stubbed the end of the joint out before flicking it in, sighing to themself quietly. A hand brushed against their back, making them jump, and Ambrose smiled at them, jerking his head towards the building. 

"Let's get you out of the cold, come on. How about we sit downstairs for a bit? On one of the comfy couches, that might help," he suggested softly, and Auberon nodded, taking his offered arm. 

"That's a good idea," they smiled, leaning on him slightly, even though their pain had already almost completely faded. "Thank you, by the way." 

"It's no problem," Ambrose soothed, flashing them a bright smile. "I'm just glad it doesn't take you too long to start feeling better." 

"Mmm, yeah, me too," Auberon smiled, allowing Ambrose to 'help' them over to the elevator. "Let's just get our stuff and then wait this snow out on the couches."

"Sounds good to me," Ambrose said simply, flashing them another of his rather adorable grins. 

It didn't take them long to pack up their things and carry them downstairs, especially since Ambrose insisted on carrying Auberon's bag, even though they tried to tell him they were fine. He didn't wrap his arm around them this time, though, and Auberon couldn't help but feel the absence, a little cold for the whole elevator ride back down to the ground floor. 

They found a particularly soft looking sofa near a window, where they could watch the snow drifting past, falling lighter now. It was starting to get dark, the flakes lit up by the light spilling from the library windows. The whole atmosphere was incredibly peaceful, and Auberon couldn't help but smile as they sat down, immediately accompanied by Ambrose, who was leaning with his arm up on the back of the sofa, his body turned to face his companion. 

"So, you never told me what someone like you is doing alone in the library on New Year's Eve," he pointed out quietly, and Auberon felt their cheeks flush as they looked over at him, one eyebrow raised. 

"Someone like me?" They echoed questioningly, and Ambrose went red. But he didn't hold back, despite his obvious embarrassment. 

"Someone as stunning as you. Surely you're being invited out all over the place," he answered with a smile, almost managing to seem smooth and casual, but hindered by the tomato-like colour of his cheeks. Auberon's own blush darkened and they simply smiled shyly. 

"Well, um.." they mumbled, looking down at their hands, their smile fading when they saw the scars on their fingers and remembered. "I actually uh...I met my ex at a New Year's Eve party. And the um...it didn't end well," they admitted, not looking at Ambrose quite yet. "So I don't really like the holiday much, I tend to hole myself up in the library to hide from it all." 

"That's understandable," Ambrose answered gently, and Auberon glanced up at last, surprised to see that there was no pity in his eyes, just the cloudiness of recollection. "I actually...I came out to my parents on New Year's Eve, many years ago now. It didn't go well, so I suppose, like you, I tend to run away from that memory." 

"I'm sorry to hear that," Auberon murmured genuinely, reaching out without thinking and taking Ambrose's hand, their scarred thumb rubbing over his knuckles. He smiled slightly and shifted a little closer to them, shrugging with one shoulder. 

"It was a long time ago now, I'm mostly over it. I just...old habits die hard, y'know?" 

"Yeah, I know," Auberon agreed softly, trying not to think about the past seven years and how often they'd run away as soon as they'd started getting close to someone again. Old habits really were difficult to shake, and yet, they didn't feel that urge with Ambrose. Not yet, anyway.

They were sitting close to him, their hand in his, but they didn't feel restless or scared. It was a small triumph, but a triumph nonetheless, and they allowed themself a smile. 

"Do you believe in fate?" Ambrose blurted out suddenly, his cheeks reddening all over again, and Auberon tilted their head, their eyebrows knitting together. 

"Fate? Well, I um.." they began hesitantly, then bit their lip and really considered the question. "I suppose I believe that things tend to work out eventually, why?" 

"I was just wondering," Ambrose answered, looking away slightly before seeming to brace himself and speaking up again. "So you don't believe we're the only two people left in this library for a reason, then?" 

Auberon stared at him for a second, flustered and uncertain. "Well, there are presumably some librarians somewhere, but I.." they mumbled, trailing off as Ambrose shifted closer to them, his eyes flickering downwards slightly, his body language softening. 

His hand came up, brushing Auberon's cheek tentatively, and he was moving, closer to them, too close and not close enough all at once, and stopping just centimetres from their lips. Once again, Ambrose was forcing Auberon to make the move, to lean into him, and, once again, they did. 

Their lips met, trembling and uncertain to start with, the softest kiss Auberon had ever experienced, but as they both gained confidence, the kiss deepened ever so slightly. Auberon slid one hand into the messy grey curls on the back of Ari's head, their fingers tangling in his hair as they unconsciously swapped to his first name. However cute his last name was, it was unthinkable to be kissing him while still thinking of him as 'Professor Ambrose.' 

Ari's own hand found Auberon's waist, knocking the redhead out of their thoughts as they shifted just a little closer to him, sharing that sublime moment with him. Their heart fluttered in their chest, their hands trembled, and a whole host of clichés rushed to mind as they felt Ari start to pull away.

The kiss was over in seconds, but it had felt like so much more, leaving Auberon breathless and shocked, trying and failing to process their first kiss in seven years. Ari laughed softly, nervously, his hand slipping from their waist, as their hand fell away from his hair. "I...I'm sorry, I just-" 

"No, don't be," Auberon interrupted quickly, but they could feel the shaky emotion rising in their chest, the realisation that they'd actually just _kissed someone_ - and not just someone, but the man they'd been pining after for _years_ \- really starting to sink in. "I...I liked it, I like...I like _you,_ I'm just-...I haven't done that in a long time, and-.." they mumbled, choking on their heavy emotion, their throat closing up as they trailed off. 

"I...I like you too, are...are you okay?" Ari asked softly, taking their hand carefully and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I didn't mean to upset you, I-"

Laughing through the tears gathering in their throat, Auberon waved their hand and sniffled. "N-no, I uh...I h-haven't had this in so long, I'm just...emotional," they forced out, and Ari relaxed slightly, smiling as he opened his arms. 

"Would a hug help?" He asked softly, and Auberon smiled even as they blinked away tears, nodding hurriedly. 

"Yeah, I'd really like that," they admitted shakily, and accepted the offer, leaning into Ari's soft chest. Those strong arms closed around Auberon's waist, and they smiled to themself, leaning their head against the front of Ari's shoulder, tucked in the crook of his neck. 

"Me too," he mumbled, and Auberon smiled to themself, finally starting to relax. They felt vulnerable, yes, but also protected, and as they stared out of the window at the snow falling outside, they found themself finally feeling truly comforted for the first time in ages. They no longer cared about their car getting buried or how they'd make it home - they felt warm and comfortable enough curled up on that couch in Ari's arms that they felt they could quite happily stay there all night. 

"This is, quite possibly, the best New Year's Eve I've ever had," Ari announced quietly, and Auberon smiled to themself, their eyes slipping closed. 

"Me too." 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This is my reverse professors AU, I may be doing more with these two in the future, let me know if you like them! ;)


End file.
